Gary H. Lyman on the Immediate and Long-Term Effects of Febrile Neutropenia

Gary H. Lyman, MD, MPH, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses the immediate and long-term effects of febrile neutropenia.

A study presented at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting showed that patients with early-stage breast cancer who experience febrile neutropenia as a result of chemotherapy usually get a reduced relative dose intensity (RDI) for their chemotherapy. Although this usually helps the febrile neutropenia, it often has negative effects down the line, Lyman says.

Modifying or reducing a patient’s chemotherapy dosage has a dramatic effect on the cure and long-term survival rates because of a higher rate of disease recurrence.